


Bloodstain

by ChocolateWhore



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Goodbyes, M/M, Mafia AU, Running Away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-06 01:59:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15184280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateWhore/pseuds/ChocolateWhore
Summary: Mello had a rough past, and no one even fully knows it. He belongs exclusively to the Los Angeles mafia, the largest syndicate in California with more partner bases than any other. The Russian blond was hand picked by the boss, himself and dragged from New York to L.A after a shitstorm with a rival syndicate.Matt doesn't have anyone. He hacks to keep himself busy and ignores the world with his games. Now, he belongs to Mello and tails him to Atlanta, Georgia on a mission lead by the blond, himself. But, he's not all he claims to be, and it seems Mello has a new private agenda that could get them both killed.





	1. 1

Mello came home early from the base one day. It wasn’t something that was so usual that it shouldn’t be questioned, but it wasn’t something the lethargic gamer was going to bother questioning. He heard the door open over the sound of his video games that blasted from the TV. The sound of shuffling footsteps came next, thudding through the kitchen as the door slammed shut behind the leather clad male that had entered the small apartment. A series of thuds and crashes followed, causing Matt to look up from the TV and cast his glance towards the doorway that lead to the kitchen. “Welcome home, Mells,” he mumbled around the cigarette in his lips, amber eyes darting back to the screen. He hadn’t even bothered to pause his game. “Didn’t expect ya to be home so soon. Thought you’d be gone a few more days. Wasn’t this trade supposed to take place in Atlanta?”

        No reply came from the kitchen, only the sound of the fridge door slamming shut and more boot steps thudding around, growing closer to the living room, where Matt was hiding away in the dim light, goggles strung around his neck and a full ashtray at his side, beer cans and empty chips bags littering the rest of his space. The machine the redhead battled against in the game fell and he smirked at the easy victory, shaking his head as he finally paused the game, just as the blond entered the room with a blank, but almost haunted look of rage. Matt knew the look all to well and sighed, setting the controller aside, leaning his back against the couch from his spot on the floor. “What, boss man making us relocate, again?” he questioned, tapping the ash from his cigarette to an already overflowing ashtray. “And I was just getting used to Georgia. Or are we going back to LA?”

        Mello shook his head, just standing in the doorway with a look of the Devil in his eyes as he tore open his chocolate wrapper with his teeth, snapping off a bite with a loud _crack._ Only he could eat chocolate so angrily, everyday, even on his good days. But this wasn't a good day, and Matt could already tell. Something was wrong. Someone had died, or screwed up, and Mello had to pay for it. That's usually how things went, anyway. Mello was the boss-man's right hand man and so he had to pick up after everyone else's mistakes. Only this time, the blond shook his head, his piercing gaze staring ruefully at the bar of chocolate in his hand. The redhead sighed, pulling himself up onto the couch and patting the seat beside him. "Alright, so what is it?"

        "It's Ross. He called me off this job," Mello growled, ignoring Matt's suggestion to taking a seat and instead choosing to pace along the back of the couch, practically fuming. "It wasn't even a hard job, he just wants his goddamn rookies to get a hand at the weapons trade. Or he still doesn't fucking trust me after the last stunt that was pulled that _I_ had to clean up after and _he_ still blamed me."

        Matt watched, lazily as Mello paced back and forth, ranting endlessly. The blond didn't have it easy. His life had been utter hell and working for Ross didn't help. The guy was a complete ass, but not as bad as Mello's previous boss. A year prior to Matt and Mello meeting, Mello had worked for a mafia syndicate in New York, with a close friend of his that he'd been with since childhood. Now, Matt didn't even know much about Mello's childhood, other than he lived on the streets with this friend of his. They joined the syndicate together, and had made plans to kill the boss and take over. Before the plan could go into effect, a simple and routine job went wrong. It was a mistake on Mello's part and his best friend was killed in the process, while Mello was wounded, badly. His boss left him for dead the moment he came crawling back. Mihael Keehl blamed himself for the death of his friend, and joined a rival syndicate to get back at his former boss, though he was transferred to a base in LA, where he befriended their hacker. After five years together, Matt felt like he had been in the place of Mello's best friend. He felt like he'd known him all those years. He was used to Mello's rants and demands, and he wouldn't have had it any other way. That also meant he could read Mello's actions the way he read binary on a computer. This wasn't one of Mello's typical rants. He was never taken off of a job, before. Mello was the guy Ross called to take over a job. To start one over. To manage all the tasks that no one else could be trusted with. Mello was _lying,_ and Matt knew it.

        "Mells, settle down," the redhead sighed, leaning back in his seat and nodding to the one beside him, once again indicating the blond should sit. "Calm down, and tell me what's _really_ going on."

        "....." Mello paused, relenting after a moment of silence and walking around to sit beside his best friend on the couch. He leaned back, biting into the chocolate again and snapping off another bite. "I need to go back to LA," he muttered around the corner of chocolate he now held in his teeth. "I need to talk to Ross about getting this job back. That damn novice crew he pulled together is going to fuck it up, badly and then we'll all be screwed."

        Matt looked over at him as he spoke, shaking his head in confusion. "Won't the job be over by then?" He questioned. "It'll be pointless. I'm sure Ross knows what he's doing. He probably has another job for you."

        A loud _bang_ rang out and the coffee table shook before them, Mello's hand now flat on it and a partially crushed chocolate bar between his hand and the table. His cold gaze wasn't at Matt. In fact, he wouldn't even meet the redhead's gaze. He glared the most evil look at absolutely nothing, his fingers tightening around what remained of his chocolate. "Shut up, Matt," he growled, now whirling his head to face him, his lips pulled into a frightening scowl. "Just shut up and stay out of this, you hear? I'm going back to LA tomorrow to deal with Ross, and you're staying here." The blond didn't wait for a response before he stood, abandoning the chocolate on the table and storming out of the room.

        Matt flinched at the sound of the bedroom door slamming shut behind the blond and sighed after a moment, eyes still resting on the crushed chocolate. He hated when Mello was mad at him, and that boy could hold a grudge worse than Satan, himself and refused to take shit from anyone who refused to bow to his demands. Matt was always the exception, ever since day one.

_"You the hacker?" The blond practically sneered, cold eyes glaring down at the redhead in his seat with a judgmental gleam in the steely blue. It was a tone that Matt had recognized. It was mocking and snide, and clearly the leather clad megalomaniac with the ego bigger than the Empire State Building thought he was the new boss of everyone, just because he was the talk of the syndicate. It wasn't everyday Ross approached some scrawny kid from a partner base, several states away and gave them such a high position._

_But Matt was anything but daunted. In fact, he was amused. He hadn't expected to run into the male with such a high reputation. Then again, how little did the stranger know of him. He thought so highly of himself for his field work and Ross loved that, but Matt was also hand picked by the boss-man, as well after hacking in and taking down the base's security system for fun. "Yeah," Matt sneered in reply, looking up at the egomaniac that stood above him. "What of it, Blondie?"_

        Snorting at the memory, the redhead removed the goggles from around his neck and dropped them on the surface of the coffee table. He didn't even know why he remembered that. He doubted Mello did to such extent. Maybe there was a reason, maybe he just had a good memory. Matt was a hacker after all; he needed a good memory to know his way around security systems. "Damn you, Mells," he muttered under his breath, eyes roaming to the bedroom door. "What are you getting yourself into, now?"


	2. Chapter 2

   Cracking the door open, the redheaded hacker stuck his head in. His eyes caught the shape in the dark of the room, though clearly awake. "I brought you chocolate," Matt announced as he strolled in, careless as always. "And a beer. It seems like that sort of night, eh, Mell?"

        "Go away, Matt," Mello growled from where he was laying, a demand in which Matt chose to ignore and instead continued over to the bed and taking a seat on the edge of it.

        Silence washed over the two, with Mello blatantly refusing to say anything to Matt and Matt just setting the beer and chocolate on the end table. His eyes flicked over to the small clock, which only read 10:34. It wasn't so late at night that Mello would actually be considering going to sleep. If he was planning on going to LA, he would be packing, or planning his trip or his approach to the situation. But he wasn't. He was just laying in the dark, choosing to blatantly ignore Matt. "You know," the redhead sighed, laying on his back next to Mello, who was facing away from him. "You're the biggest asshole I know, and I know a lot of them. You're unbelievably stubborn and selfish as fuck. You wear a stoic mask and parade it around, barking out orders and demands but you know I never answer to any of those. You know I know something's off. It isn't just a job. What did Ross say?"

        "It's nothing, Matt," the blond muttered in reply. "Just leave it alone, would you? I said I'm handling it."

        "Then why am I staying here?" Matt snapped, sitting up suddenly and glaring at Mello's shape in the dark. "We always do this shit together, and now you're just ditching me in fucking Georgia. And for what? Trying to regain the boss title on a job you were taken off of when it's clearly a lost cause?"

        "Shut up!" Mello barked, now sitting up as well to face Matt. Even through the dark, Matt could make out his enraged features, his lip curled into a snarl and eyes blazing. No doubt he would have been out for blood, had it been anyone else. "I'm regaining control of this damn job and you're staying here so I have a place to come back to! When you agreed to work with me exclusively, you agreed to go along with anything, no questions asked. Where the hell is that guy, huh?"

        ".....fine," Matt sighed, leaning over and flicking the light on, lighting up the room before glaring at the blond that sat across from him on the bed. "Look me in my goddamn eyes and tell me that's the only reason you're going back. Tell me that you're this wound up over some shitty job that isn't even worth the pay."

        Mello met his gaze, steadily, but he uttered not a word. Matt's heart sank. He was right after all. Mello could lie to anyone. Anyone but Matt. He'd never seen the blond look so defeated and so pissed off before. There was clearly something else. Another job or some personal problem with one of the members of the syndicate, but Matt knew he wasn't going to be getting any answers anytime soon, if at all. His amber eyes lifted once again to look at Mello, who no longer met his gaze. Steely blue eyes on the floor and golden hair in his face, Mello almost seemed so much younger, though still chasing the same vendetta, the same revenge he'd been carrying since the moment his friend was killed and he was left for dead. He was bloodthirsty, and nothing would get in his was of getting to his goal, of winning. Taking down not only his former boss, but the very syndicate he ran. _That_ was his goal. Take everything he had and burn it to the ground. Destroy him.

        But Matt knew it was nothing more than a mere fantasy. Ross would never let him within a hundred miles of New York, again. Mello was all his, and Ross wasn't going to share his favorite weapon with anyone. After all, that's why Mello was even in that syndicate. A puppet, but the blond didn't care who was pulling the reins as long as someone ended up dead by the end of the day and a wad of cash in his hand for a job well done.

        "Sorry, Matt," the blond chuckled, humorlessly. "Things are going to get really fucked up in the next couple of days. Just promise you'll stay here so I have something to come back to, okay? Don't ask questions, just promise. When I get back, everything will be taken care of and this shit storm with Ross will be over with."

        Matt ignored the red flag, every single one of them. The strain in Mello's voice, the apology, the borderline desperate request. Instead, he only nodded, looking the other way, just like he always did. Looking the other way was what he was good at. It was that kind of attitude that had gotten Linda killed, all those years ago....but he wasn't one to dwell on the past. It was called the past for a reason. It didn't matter to him anymore. When Linda was killed, he had nothing to lose, but now he had Mello, and everything to lose. Why was that? Why was he so partial to Mello, of all people? Why him, the biggest hypocrite of the syndicate as a whole, the biggest egomaniac and the biggest jackass with the worst attitude and the hair trigger temper?

        _"You in or out, Ginger? Get off your ass if you're going to be useful for something for once. Getting drunk is only fun when someone ends up dead, otherwise it's pointless wallowing."_

"I promise," Matt sighed with a nod, looking at Mello. His blue eyes were wide and determined. He was really getting into some deep shit, and there was no hiding that. No ignoring it. Someone was going to end up on the wrong end of Mello's gun, that was for sure. "I don't know what you're planning, and we both know your excuse is bullshit, so I need a promise in return. Promise you'll come back in one piece, you got that?"

        Mello didn't reply for several moments, his eyes looking over Matt for quite some time before he offered a reluctant nod. "Right," he muttered. "I'll come back. Promise." Matt could see the resistance in those eyes. It was painfully obvious, and where Mello always had been one for keeping secrets, he never was one to do that with Matt. They relied on each other too much to risk doing so. After all, they only had each other, and the only thing that could tear them apart was if they didn't talk. It's how they got along. Mello always confronted Matt; they were a team. The blond didn't do anything unless the redhead knew about it, and vice versa.

        Sighing, the redhead felt the need to remind Mello of this exact thing. He gave Mello a knowing look before lowering his amber eyes, staring lazily at Mello's hands, dropped into his own lap. "We're all we have, ya know," he muttered, looking back to Mello's bright gaze. "I know, I know, it's always been you, me, and your gun. You, me, and your vendetta. I get it. Nothing's ever stood in your way, but Mello, I know when you're lying. It isn't about the job. It's about New York, isn't it? Ross told you?"

        Matt had always been in charge of the files in the syndicate, along with security, of course, along with various hacking jobs and taking down rival syndicates in the area. He'd seen his fair share of dirty secrets that Ross had tried to hide, all of which he'd had his mouth bound by money from the boss's pocket. He never minded; it wasn't like he was one to play fair, either. But he'd seen a particular email, once that was going back to the head of the base that Mello came from, in New York. He knew Ross's plan to keep Mello exclusive, even if it meant having that man's head on a pike. Mello had always kept New York in his line of sight, always determined to go back there the moment Ross told him it was time. However, the boss had paid Matt to keep his mouth shut when he found this out. It was the one secret he kept from Mello, and he regretted it. But this wasn't where Mello's rage was coming from, and the blond no doubt chose to prove it in that moment. "No, Matt. I swore to myself that I'd go back there and kill that bastard. That I'd make him pay for what he did to me. To my friend. I'll get back there. Ross thinks he owns me, but he'll soon learn that he doesn't." The blond let out a dirty chuckle. "In fact, it's quite the opposite. I own him. I damn near run this syndicate. All he does is tell others to follow my lead. No one would really miss him. I'm all the base needs, after all."

        "Right," the redhead replied, once again dropping his gaze. He didn't say anything more, because what more was there to say? Mello wasn't going to be talked out of this. "So you're going back to LA to what, establish dominance?" Matt snorted, digging around in his vest pocket for a cigarette and lighter.  "Then what, run back here and take over? Boss man won't let you do that, you know." He lit the cigarette, placing it between his lips and inhaling the gritty smoke into his lungs.

        Mello just looked at him, all the rage seeming to fade. He didn't look desperate or angry, or even lost, he just seemed almost disappointed. But Matt stood where he said, right there as Mello's dog. He would be there when Mello left for LA, and he'd be there when Mello got back. It wasn't like he was thinking about making a living without him. The two of them had a bond that couldn't be broken by anything such as a petty dispute taking place on the inside of the syndicate. Matt had sworn all that away when he agreed to join Mello and work solely for him. The only reason Ross had allowed this was because he saw he could use Matt as a distraction, to make Mello throw away the idea of returning to New York. He was supposed to keep the blond in check, keep his eyes forward and made sure he never looked back. That was Matt's job, but he hated to admit that he'd failed. Mello was anything but a job to him. Mello was his best friend, his only friend, and he'd throw the life he'd made for himself at the base to stay that way with the blond. He wasn't  going to let anything change that. Eyes still locked together, Matt gave his friend a crooked smile. "You're so damn stubborn, Blondie, ya know that?" He shifted a bit closer to Mello, keeping his gaze steady.

        The world could have fallen away in that moment, and neither of them could have noticed. Their lips locked together then, and it felt like they'd been made to be that way, pressed against each other like that. The ashy smell and taste of cigarettes that coated Matt's lips and the bitter taste of dark chocolate on Mello's, both of which were complained about by the two, but neither of which complained then. And just like that, Matt had sealed the deal and carried out his job. But it was more than that, now. The kiss, to him, was real. Mello could run off to New York, he could look back and leave, and Matt would wait for him. He could go to LA and take over the base, and Matt would be there for him. He didn't care, anymore. He just wanted to remain by Mello's side, consequences be damned. Even if it meant Ross would have him killed or thrown from the mafia, he didn't care. Matt would follow Mello to the end of the world it that's where it ended up. Pulling away from the blond's lips, Matt took in the male that sat before him, their faces still only barely inches apart. "So this is what you want then," the redhead muttered, quietly. "To go back to LA. To go head to head with the boss."

        "I don't have a choice," Mello replied in a dry voice. "I'll be back within a week, so don't worry."

        "Worrying's my job now, Mells," Matt sighed, lowering his gaze. He leaned back, pulling away from the blond, entirely. He hated the thought of Mello picking a fight with Ross, but he hated the idea even more, considering he didn't even fully trust what Mello was planning. He knew full well that we didn't know the extent of it, and that bothered him more than the thought of him leaving. There was no shred of doubt in Matt's mind that Mello could take on Ross and his men....Ross had always underestimated him. Had he trusted the blond to his full extent, Mello would have been head of the mafia, already. "But hey, try not to take too long, got it?"

        The blond nodded, smirking for a moment before laying back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "You got it, Matty," he sighed, holding out his hand without even sparing a glance in Matt's direction. Matt cracked a smile, grabbing the chocolate from the end table and dropping it in Mello's hand. His blue gaze flicked up to look at Matt for a moment before he looked back to the bar of chocolate, tearing the wrapper open with his teeth.

        _"Matt," a harsh voice growled, causing the redhead to sigh, pausing the game on his handheld device, casting a bored glance up at the man that stood above him, dressed in a suit and a stern look on his face._

_"What?" Matt muttered, pulling the goggles from his eyes and dropping them back around his neck, leaning his back against the leather sofa and stretching out on the floor. "I got all your shit done for the day, what do you need, now? You already paid me to keep my trap shut, I'll keep your precious secret."_

_The man in the suit raised an eyebrow before a scowl took over the features of his face, sitting in the chair across from the redheaded hacker. "This isn't about that. I've been working with Mello for several years, obviously you know that. I want you to make sure he doesn't go back to New York. He works for me and I can't have him thinking differently. Don't just make him stay, make sure that damn brat has a reason to stay."_

It wasn't about that. It never really was. Matt had a damn good excuse to stick by Mello's side, but Mello had asked him to go along with him, anyway. He couldn't have just fabricated those feelings out of no where, just for the hell of it or just for the job. If Mello truly was going to bring Ross down, Matt wanted to be there, with him. "Mello, I'm going with you," he decided after Mello had cracked off a bite of chocolate, though the blond shook his head.

        Rolling over to face the redhead, who was now on his back beside him, Mello pressed a kiss to Matt's cheek, handing him the rest of the chocolate bar. "You're staying here for when I come back." Matt sighed, setting it over on the table once again, as Mello rolled away, facing his back to the redhead. "Now turn off the light, you don't expect me to sleep with it on, do you?"

        The redhead sighed, rolling over once again to turn the light off, letting the darkness wash over them. Matt had known for a long time that he was willing to stand by Mello's side for more than just a job. He'd had to watch his sister die right in front of his eyes, so many years ago. Mello was the first person he'd ever taken a liking to since then, and they'd become so close over the years. It was no secret that Matt liked Mello as more than just a friend, and the other way around, as well. Matt had never had the courage to tell Mello he loved him. They'd kissed and been sleeping in the same bed for ages, but they'd never even considered themselves to be officially dating, but their relationship was anything but platonic. The redhead knew Mello would put his business with the mafia, first, and he didn't care about that. Matt shifted closer to the blond so that he was pressed up against the male, draping an arm around him in the dark. Neither of the two said anything, and instead they simply let the silence comfort them until they were both asleep.


	3. Three

   The redhead woke up late the next day, no later than usual and cracked his eyes open to see the space in the bed beside him empty. He hadn't been expecting to see the blond there, and it didn't come as a surprise that he was gone. Mello always was up and gone long before Matt and came home long after dark. Sighing, he pulled himself out from the bed and stood, stretching his arms over his head, feeling his back pop. The redhead sighed in relief, immediately feeling better once he did so. Glancing around the room, he grabbed his goggles off the end table and dropped them around his neck as he walked out into a mildly clean living room and kitchen. All of Mello's things were gone, likely when he packed up and left that morning. Matt couldn't help but feel a bit deflated at seeing this. "Guess I was hoping I'd see you again, Mells," the redhead muttered to himself, stalking to the fridge and pulling it open. Even Mello's stash of chocolate was gone. He internally wondered if he'd taken the Beretta's. They knew a few weapons smugglers around that could get their guns anywhere they wanted, overnight. Matt figured Mello would have dropped his guns off there, first before coming home the night before.

        Matt's own gun still sat where it was, on the dining room table, next to his laptop. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, careless to the time, and some leftover pizza from two days ago, the redhead made his way over to the table and set his 'breakfast' aside, opening up the laptop and logging in. Mello was gone, and likely no where near his phone, so Matt was completely alone. He could spend the next week replaying the Drakengard and NieR series for the the hundredth time, or he could pick up some simple hack jobs by sitting around of forums the whole time. There was always the option of seeking out old clients, but he didn't want that back on his reputation. He'd grown out of little kid games for mediocre clients.

        _"You the hacker I've heard so much about?" A voice growled out. A young redheaded male sat in the rain, under the streetlamp in an alleyway. Blood was smeared across his face, along with several cuts and bruises, a pair of broken goggles around his neck. He couldn't have been older than thirteen. "M, is that right?"_

_The young male looked up that the man. Dressed all up in a suit and two others flanking him, all three holding black umbrellas._ _The one in the middle was larger than the other two, and the most intimidating. Matt knew who it was right away. Dwight Gordon, or more commonly known as Rod Ross, head of the Los Angeles mafia, the largest and most dangerous syndicate in L.A, and also home to the security system Matt had just broken into. He nodded up at the man, looking anything but scared. Ross held out a hand in the rain, a slight smirk on his face. "Come on, kid. You work for me, now."_

A _ping_ from the laptop brought Matt back to reality, shaking himself free of the memories. He couldn't believe how long it had been since then. As big of an ass as Ross was, he was the only father figure Matt ever had, and he couldn't really even consider Ross that. But, he had given Matt a roof over his head, clothes and food. Above all, he'd supplied Matt with all the technology he'd needed to keep himself busy, and his mind off of Linda. Ross didn't even bat an eye when Matt started stealing cigarettes at 15. The alias 'M' was the name Matt used on any forums he was on, and was very well known as a dangerous hacker, at the time. The alias 'M2' or 'M-Squared' wasn't adopted until after Matt and Mello began working together. The mafia leader and his hacker, and Matt wouldn't lie, he knew damn well that they could run a mafia on their own. They had the reputation to do it, and enough followers to take over all of the L.A syndicates if they wanted to.

        Taking a bite of the cold pizza, Matt turned his attention back to the screen, seeing that the internet browser was already pulled up with several tabs open, most likely from Mello. The blond used it more than Matt did. He had other computers to hack from than that one. Driven by boredom and curiosity, he began flicking through the open tabs. It seemed like Mello had really been doing his research on the syndicates and bases in New York. He figured that's what Mello was planning for after he faced Ross. Popping the tab on his beer can, Matt took a sip, leaning back in his seat and kicking his foot up on one of the other chairs at the table. His amber gaze finally fell on the last tab as he was closing them out. It was a site for travel tickets. Air travel was something Mello wasn't exactly partial to, and they had Matt's Camaro, so it never really mattered. But that wasn't the point. Mello's plane ticket wasn't for L.A. Hell, it wasn't even close to L.A. "I can't believe it," Matt hissed, nearly dropping his can in disbelief. "That bastard's actually doing it. He's going back to New York."


	4. 4

 

Mello had it planned for days. He knew Matt would see the plane ticket sooner or later, but by then it would be too late. Mello would already be in New York, and likely halfway to the old base, home to the very first syndicate he was ever involved in. The same place where the vendetta was placed upon his shoulders with no warning. He carried it, day in and day out. Not even Matt knew the extent of the pain he felt since that day. The boy that was killed wasn't Mello's best friend. No, he had been something a bit more. To Mello, at least. He didn't have trust issues for no reason at all, and his reluctance to bond with others didn't happen over night. He'd trusted someone once, a mafia boss who was like a father to him. And he had loved once, his best friend that he'd had since the day his house turned to ashes and his parents cast him to the streets. The mafia boss left him to die and his best friend lost his life because of both of them. Mello wanted revenge. Matt would try and stop him, but there was a reason that Mello forced Matt to stay. He hadn't been lying when he told Matt that Ross had called him. That was the problem. Ross did indeed call, but Mello wasn't taken off the job. His ex boss that had left him for dead with a bullet hole in his flesh had found him and was tracking him. Ross warned him not to go back to New York, but knowing that both him and Matt were at risk, he wasn't going to just ignore it.

        Ross was only concerned about losing his best member, the only one who could lead the mafia as good as himself, though Mello and Matt both knew he could damn well lead it better than the one in charge. But that wasn't the point. If Cruz found out that Mello was hiding out in L.A, it wouldn't be long before he sent his mutts out there and from there, to Atlanta. Matt was no longer safe and yes, the hacker had a shot that was nearly twice as good as Mello's, but they'd likely end up ambushed, or worse. Years before, Mello had planted a bomb in their base before he was sent to L.A. Almost everyone escaped, including the boss, himself. He was out for blood, no doubt, and he wanted Mello dead. Mello, and the one person he loved, though he never dared to tell Matt.

        Yet there he was that morning, hijacking a motorcycle and taking it to the root of the problem, the very place that started it all. Mello knew Cruz's puppets were likely posted all around the city, and it would take no time at all for them to catch sight of Mello. The boss would no doubt know within the hour, and be expecting him. At that point, Mello knew he couldn't exactly turn back. He'd only been lying when he asked Matt to wait for him; he wasn't planning on returning to Georgia. He wasn't even planning on seeing Matt again, and Matt would no doubt soon know, if he were smart and knew where to look. Even if Cruz ended up dead, along with all his puppets, Mello would still wait for a while, even if it meant Matt thinking he was dead. He'd have to play it off that way for some time in order to keep the mafia's eyes off of Matt. He'd likely build up a syndicate of his own in New York, then, and that's when he would call Matt in. Sure, the hacker would be pissed that Mello kept it from him for so long, but at least he'd survived.

        But that was only the good outcome. The slightly more realistic outcome would be the whole place would likely end up in flames. Mello was simply planning on leaving behind yet another present for them. He didn't care much, however, whether or not he escaped. He needed to be absolutely sure that Cruz was inside the building the moment the bomb went off, and that meant that Mello had to be inside at that moment. It was what he had set out to do, all those years ago, and worked himself up to do. Now, he was coming to the end, and he could feel the dread filling every bone in his body the moment he rolled up beside the base. He killed the engine of the bike and climbed off of it, removing the helmet from his head as he lifted his gaze to the building that stood over him.  It was an abandoned hotel on the outskirts of the city, but it was still a rather nice place to build up a syndicate. "Matt," he muttered to himself as he lowered his gaze and began to approach the base.  "Surely he isn't that much of an idiot, and he knows to stay where I told him to. Then again, he was the one who willingly dropped all contact with the mafia to become my exclusive hacker. What a foolish move, if you ask me. Even more foolish I couldn't come out and tell him the one thing I needed him to know the most. Never mind that, the past is done and gone and so will be my future if I can't focus. Sorry, Matt." The blond sighed, rounding the building towards the back. If he remembered correctly, there was a busted window he could enter through. Security was always lax in that area. He'd told Cruz he needed to secure it more, not that the old bastard cared to listen. He figured the jackass would still keep security just as nonexistent as before, even after what happened the last time Mello was around. Well, it certainly wouldn't be the first time he'd used his idiocy to his advantage.

        Truly, Cruz was not even a decent fit to be running a syndicate, and yet his damned lackeys bowed to his each command. Today, he'd be commanding them from his throne in that building, knowing full well he was sending them to their deaths. When Cruz had left Mello for dead, Mello would be the first to admit that he wasn't the best in the mafia. He was close, but he wasn't the Mello he was at that moment. _That_ was the best. He was better than Ross himself, and he was no doubt unashamed to admit that. He was damn proud of the blood on his hands and the price on his head. The mark across his face was no doubt a symbol to everyone that he was very much alive, and back for revenge. The blond loved the thought of that. It was so long ago that this war had started, and Mello was merely there to finish the job that had endangered him and Matt. He was there to end the war.

        To save Matt.

        He didn't want to admit that to himself, but there was no doubt that the vendetta he chased wasn't the only reason for his appearance at the base that day. In fact, that vendetta was almost irrelevant. Mello knew this from the moment his plane landed in New York. The only thing on his mind was Matt. His former friend had hardly crossed his mind at all. He'd seen that coming since Ross called him while he was an hour away from the hotel in Atlanta. Mello was smart, he knew that Cruz would have tracked him down sooner or later. It was inevitable. But, he'd always thought he'd be ready, that he could handle it. He could take Cruz and his damned puppets on with no problem at all. But that was before Matt came into the picture.

        _"Mello, it's me."_

_The voice on the other end of the line was no doubt the boss, himself, and it was a voice that made Mello's skin crawl. A deep and horrid scowl crossed his face. "What do you want, Ross?" He demanded through the phone with a growl. "I'm doing what you asked, so you have no reason to be calling. If any of those rookies complained, it's not my fault they're dead weight to the team. I needed to teach them one way or-"_

_"It's Cruz. He's found us. Drop the job and leave Atlanta, now. You can't come back to L.A, either."_

_It was a statement that made Mello's heart stop. His veins ran cold as his grip tightened on the phone. It couldn't be. Too much time had gone by; it wasn't right. Surely Cruz's hunt for the male had ended when the trail went cold all those years ago when he left New York, right? Ross made sure to cover his tracks, to keep Mello hidden, at least until he was ready to let the blond go back. Mello shook his head. He'd known this was coming from the moment he was transferred to the base in L.A. Still, though, he hadn't been expecting it. Not then, at least. He'd always thought they'd strike sooner. That didn't matter. He was sending people to find them. Ross was right; it was time to leave. Without another word, he hung up the phone, but didn't move an inch from where he stood, leaned against the wall in an alley. He knew what he had to do, and Matt wasn't going to like it._

Mello had always lived in a world where everything revolved around him and his ego. Him and his twin Beretta's. Nothing could touch them and nothing could stop them. But then, there was Matt. He'd never thrown Matt into the mix, because he knew that Matt could hold his own, and Mello's vendetta had nothing to do with Matt. He'd always kept the truth a secret. In fact, he had told the same lie so many times that he had almost started to believe it, himself. Mello had seen his best friend killed right in front of his eyes, but it was Cruz who had done it, to teach Mello a lesson. He had never planned on keeping the blond alive after that, and shot him. It wasn't a lie that his best friend was killed because of him, but that was too much guilt to weigh. He could never bring himself to tell Matt the truth. Cruz had killed the one person he'd loved at the time, and he wasn't going to let history repeat itself. He was going to strike first, again and again if he had to. Cruz's empire was going to burn, and he was going to made sure he was alive enough to watch it fall.

        His gaze fell upon the busted window, the perfect entrance and unguarded as always. Bastards never do learn.  Mello knew this, because he was one of them. Crouching down, the blond slid along the ground until he dropped himself to the floor inside the building. "Damn fool," he growled to himself, taking out one of his Beretta's and flicking the safety off, clicking a bullet into the chamber. "I told you that this would be the death of you." His cold gaze flicked back to the window. It was his only chance to turn back. But he knew if he returned to Atlanta, the hunt would never end. Cruz would always hunt him down, again. It had to stop. Mello wasn't going to risk the same thing happening again. He wasn't going to.

        _Mello closed his eyes, a trembling sigh escaping his lips. The phone clattered to the ground, no doubt shattering at the impact. It didn't matter. The blond didn't even know what he was going to say to Matt when he got back to the hotel. For the first time, Mihael Keehl was at a loss. He was backed into a corner, no cards left to play. For the first time, he didn't see a way out._ _"Sorry, Matt," he muttered to himself, opening his eyes to stare at the ground with a pained look. "I thought I'd have more time. But the boss is right. It's time for me to go, and time for me to say goodbye."_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh sorry I haven't been updating; I ended up in Voltron Hell and can't get out, so any other fanfics are gonna be slow updates! But it's gonna get finished, I swear!


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